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School commissioner resigns after background questioned

Anthony Hamilton claims degrees, but universities have no record of him

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Updated: 4:45 PM EDT Aug 2, 2013

A new appointee to the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners has resigned Thursday after WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team raises questions about his background.

School commissioner resigns after background questioned

Anthony Hamilton claims degrees, but universities have no record of him

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Updated: 4:45 PM EDT Aug 2, 2013

BALTIMORE —

A new appointee to the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners resigned Thursday after the WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team raised questions about his background, and the state has since decided to make some changes to the vetting process.

An official with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's office confirmed the resignation.

"Mr. Hamilton's resignation from the Baltimore City School Board due to allegations of falsified education documents is unfortunate but necessary at this time. The process to identify a qualified candidate to replace Mr. Hamilton on the school board will include a rigorous search," Rawlings-Blake said.

The Maryland Department of Education is investigating Anthony Hamilton's claims about his background in response to the questions raised by the 11 News I-Team -- potentially embarrassing questions if a gubernatorial appointee to a high-profile position isn't who he's claimed to be, I-Team lead investigative reporter Jayne Miller said.

Video posted on YouTube dating back to the summer of 2011 shows Hamilton as a candidate for the Baltimore City Council. He ran on a platform focused on education. Hamilton didn't win that election, but this year, he grabbed a political appointment to a seat just as coveted as a commissioner to the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners.

The announcement was made last month jointly by the two politicians who appoint the city board members, Gov. Martin O'Malley and Rawlings-Blake.

On paper, Hamilton seems a perfect fit for the board, Miller reported. He claims an impressive academic resume and said he's the father of children who need special education services. But the press release of his appointment, written by the governor's office, and his biography on the school board's website contained key inconsistencies.

According to the press release, Hamilton's a graduate of Coppin State University, but his biography said he graduated from Towson University. The press release indicated Hamilton is the father of three boys, but the bio said four.

The two documents agree on one thing: Hamilton claims to also have a master's degree in educational administration from Johns Hopkins University. That's especially impressive because that Hopkins program is ranked No. 2 in the country, Miller reported.

But a representative for Hopkins, in response to the I-Team's inquiry, said Hopkins can find no such record.

"There is not one single Anthony A. Hamilton in the (alumni) database, and the registrar in education checked three databases and cannot find him anywhere," the Hopkins representative told the I-Team.

The spokesperson said they ran the name a number of different ways.

Representatives with Coppin State University and Towson University said they have no record of Hamilton getting a degree from their institutions.

Hamilton included some of his academic claims on his Facebook page, but on Tuesday, the page changed and those claims were gone, Miller reported.

On Tuesday, the school system said the reference to Towson University on Hamilton's bio was a mistake. Hamilton also included Towson on his Facebook page before that information was taken down.

Hamilton had agreed to meet the I-Team on Wednesday for an interview, but he canceled 10 minutes before he was supposed to arrive.

In an email, he said: "I was saddened to find out that anonymous allegations were made about my work histroy (sic) and background. I understand that this matter is under review by the relevant entitites (sic), and I look forward to a speedy resolution."

The governor's office released a statement Wednesday, saying, "The State Board of Education, which is responsible for vetting candidates to the board, is conducting an official review of these very serious allegations. If these allegations are proven to be true, swift action will be taken."

State changes vetting process

As a result of this story, state education officials on Thursday said they have changed their vetting process for school board candidates to start independently verifying academic claims -- something that apparently was not done before.

Hamilton has worked for the city Health Department since 2008. The mayor has ordered an internal review there and said she will take action concerning Hamilton, if needed.

City Hall refused to release Hamilton's letter of resignation. A representative for the mayor said he asked them not to, and they agreed so as "not to rub his face in it."

Hamilton holds a $52,000 a year job with the city. It requires either a bachelor's degree with certain experience or a master's degree.